By Kendall Fisher (opens in new tab), executive producer at Grow Wire
Typically, men either enjoy shopping, or they don’t. But both types of men share common ground on one key factor: Menswear and the experience that goes with it hasn’t always catered to their specific needs or desires.
College best friends and business partners Peyton Jenkins and Colin Hunter are perfect examples of this dichotomy.
Jenkins loved to shop, but with a much taller-than-average frame, he could never find clothing that fit him well. Hunter, on the other hand, hated to shop—and that was only amplified by the fact that, despite an entirely different body type than Jenkins, he too struggled to find properly fitted clothing.
And such began their journey to create Alton Lane, a business wear brand dedicated to both types of men.
They started with the common need between them—a solid fit—and built the brand off the foundation of making customized, tailored suits for all of their customers. Then, they addressed the second major issue for many of those customers: the shopping experience.
Jenkins and Hunter knew they needed to create an enjoyable in-store experience that kept their customers coming back—especially as fast fashion and online shopping became bigger competition. Looking at their own tastes (they do, of course, represent their customer base), they curated a showroom with a comfortable couch in front of a TV and a bar.
Simple as that…or so it seemed.
As any entrepreneur can attest, Jenkins and Hunter faced their fair share of challenges in getting Alton Lane off the ground—including figuring out supply chain issues that almost derailed the company and how to maintain that personalized experience when they eventually expanded across multiple stores and locations.
Watch this three-part series to find out Jenkins and Hunter turned their shopping pains into a lucrative idea, and after overcoming many obstacles—including shifts in the retail industry toward fast fashion—turned that idea into a reality with Alton Lane.
